Direction-indicator.



F.- E. DRISKILL.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1s, 1.915.

SHEET 1.

Patented Feb. 22

2 SHEETS F. E. DRISKILL. DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6, I915.

1, 1 72,960. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE coumum PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

crew

FREDERICK E. DRISKILL, OF BERWICK, LOUISIANA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Application filed April 16 To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, FREDERICK E. DRIS- KILL, a citizen of the United States, residing atBer-wick, in St. Mary parish and State of Louisiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in directionindicators, and the principal object of the invention is to provide adevice for indicating the direction to be taken by motor vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which is readilyattachable to motor vehicles of the usual construction withoutnecessitating the changing of the construction in any manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientdevice which may be readily controlled from the steering post of thevehicle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel means foroperating the several parts.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forthin the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mechanism showing the same readyfor use. Fig. 2 is asectional view through one of the forward lamps.Fig. 3 is a front view in elevation of the lamp. Fig. 4 is a front viewshowing the lamp in its reversed posi-.

tion, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the refiector supporting arm.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference the numeraldesignates as an entirety the lamp casing of one of the forward lampscomprising a cylindrical body 2 which is open at each end. This body isformed intermediate its ends with the diametrically opposite ventilatinghoods 3 and carried in the body is the lens 4, while the rear end isprovided with the glass panel 5, having suitable designating characters6, painted or otherwise formed thereon. It will be evident that when thelamp is in either of its positions the ventilating hood 3 will cooperatein causing a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, itlifi.

Serial No. 21,791.

draft therethrough, so that the fiame from the burner which will be morefully hereinafter described may be properly furnished with the necessaryogygen.

The lamp casing 2 is provided at diametrically opposite points at anangle of ninety degrees from the center of the hoods 3 with the tubularextensions 6 which are arranged to receive the tubular portions 7 whichare formed at their outer ends with rectangular extensions 8. Theserectangular extensions 8 project through rectangular apertures formed inthe upper ends of the lamp brackets 9 and both the portions 7 and theextension 8 are hollow to receive the pipe 10 through which theilluminating gas passes. This pipe extends through a suitable ear 11formed on the supportin ring 12 of the reflector 13 and these ears 11are formed with the extensions 7, so that the reflector is heldstationary regardless of the position of the lamp casing. It will thusbe seen that the lamp casing can be reversed so that the characters onthe screen or panel 5 may be easily read.

In order to provide a reversing means for the casing, the gear wheel 1%is provided and is secured to one of the extensions 6 and meshing withthis gear wheel is a suitable arcuate r; ck 15 which is pivotallymounted at 16 to a suit able support and is provided with the arms 17the lower end of'which is secured to an operating rod as at 18. A suitable retractile coil spring 19 is connected to the arm 17 and theopposite end of the coil spring is secured as at 20 to a rigid supportso that the lamp casing will be automatically returned to its normalposition after the same has been released. In order to illuminate theinterior of the casing the pipe 10 is bent downwardly as at 21 andpasses through an opening 22 formed in the lower edge of the reflectorand is then bent upwardly as at 23 and carries the tip 2st. It will thusbe seen that the flame is disposed centrally of the reflector 13 and itwill remain in that position regardless of the position of the casing 2.

Secured to each side of the vehicle and or ranged to operate the lever17 hereinbefore referred to is a suitable rod 25 which is providedintermediate its end with suitable upstanding pins 26. These pins 26 arearranged to be engaged by the hook ends 27 of the arm 28 which ispivoted as at 29 centrally of the ends and to the frame of the vehicle.A suitable depending car 30 is formed on the arm 28 near one end of itsends and pivotally connected thereto is the arm 31 of the bell crankdesignated generally by the numeral 32. The opposite arm of said bellcrank has pivotally connected thereto the rod 34 which extends upwardlyparallel to the steering post of the vehicle and terminates in the handhold 35. This rod is provided with a suitable lug or dog 36 which isarranged to engage the teeth 37 of the bar 38 which is rigidly securedto the steering post so that when the bar is moved, it may be held inadjusted position. Each of the bars is provided at its rear end with asuitable hinge joint 39 and carries the spring 40, the use of which willappear as the description proceeds.

Hinged to the hinge joints 39 are the ex tensions ll having enlargements42 formed intermediate their ends. Extending clown- "ardly from theframe of the vehicle are the brackets 43 carrying at the lower ends, the

roller 44L- which are arranged to engage the faces of the enlargementsas when the bars 25 are moved forwardly so as to cause the dogs 45 toengage the coperating dogs to operate the rear light as will be morefully hereinafter described.

Cooperating with the dogs are the latch dogs 46 which are carried on theslidable rods 47, which rods are mounted in the eyes 48 carried by theframe =19. The rear ends of these rods are pivoted as at 50 to the crossarms 51, which cross arms are formed on the longitudinally extendingbars 52, the rear end of which is formed with the arcuate rack 53, whichmeshes with a suitable gear wheel 54: mounted on the shaft 55 carryingthe light 56. The opposite end of the arm is formed with a suitable eye57 to which the ends of the retractile coil spring 58 are connected. Theopposite ends of these springs are secured as at 59 to the side bars ofthe frame l9 and it will thus be seen that the bar 52 will be normallyheld in a position shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in use upon exerting upwardpull on the handle 35 the bell crank 32 will be moved so as to swing thebar so that the hook end 27 thereof on the left hand side will engagethe lug 26 carried by the bar 25 on the left handvside of the vehicle.This movement Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

will actuate the lever 17 and cause the light casing on the left side ofthe vehicle to turn over so as to expose the characters on the screen orpanel 5 thereof. Simultaneously with this movement the enlargement 42 onthe extension 41 will engage the roller 44 and force the free end of theextension downwardly so that the latch dog 45 will engage the latch dog46 on the left side of the vehicle and thereby exert pull on the rod l7so that the arm 51 will be swung to the left, thereby exposing the panelL of the lamp 56. Upon releasing the handle 35 it willbe evident thatthe springs 19 and 58 will return the several parts to their normalpositions and the spring 40'will lift the member 41 free from.engagement with the latch dogs 46. Upon pushing downwardly on the handle35 it will be apparent that the same operation will be gone throughexcept that the bar 45 on the right hand side of the vehicle will beoperated instead of the bar on the left hand side, and thereby the righthand signal will be operated. In this way it will be clearly evidentthat directions may be given as to the intentions of the driver of avehicle and thereby eliminate many of the accidents accompanying the useof motor vehicles.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this mvention, it is to be understood that such changesmay be made 111 the combination and arrangement of parts, as will fallwithin the spirit and, scope of the appended clalm.

What is claimed is:

A device of the character described in- V eluding a frame, rods slidableon said frame, a lever pivoted to the frame, arms on the lever andconnected to the rods, indicatingmeans actuated by the lever, latch dogsat the forward ends of the rods, springs to hold the lever inlongitudinal alinement with the frame and independently movableoperating bars provided with latch dogs arranged to engage the latchdogs on the rods to control the movement of the indicator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK E. DRISKILL. Witnesses: V

Yvns B. TERREBONNE, LULA DIMAGGIO.

by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

